Rail tool



K. KANAl RAIL TOOL Filed May 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L L a a.

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g N Inventor q Kunswlw fiZm/az' Patented June 17, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAIL TOOL Kunsaku Kauai, Bosler, Wyo. Application May 21, 1940, Serial No. 336,458

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in rail tools and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character embodying novel means through the medium of which a pair of railroad rails may be expeditiously adjusted toward or away from each other in a manner to close or open the gap at the joint thereof.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a tool of the aforementioned character embodying unique means for frictionally gripping the rails to be adjusted.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a rail adjusting tool of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable in use, compact and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of. the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View, showing an adjusting tool constructed in accordance with the present invention applied to the adjacent end portions of a pair of rails.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a detail View principally in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a view partially in plan and partially in horizontal section, showing the means for rotatably supporting one end portion of. the screw shaft.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view through the head on one end of the screw shaft, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been iluustrated comprises a pair of rigid jaws I of suitable metal which are adapted to straddle the balls 2 of a pair of rails 3 to be adjusted. On the outer ends of the jaws I are inturned hooks 4 (see Fig. 3) which are engageable under the balls 2 of the rails.

On the inner ends of the jaws I are vertically spaced integral eyes 5 for the reception of. pins 6. Journaled on the pins 6 for swinging movement in a horizontal plane are metallic arms 1. Fixed on the free end of one of the arms I is a longitudinal bearing 8. Fixed on the corresponding end of the other arm I is an internally threaded sleeve 9. The reference numeral I0 designates a screw shaft which is threaded through the sleeve 9 and which includes a smooth or unthreaded end portion II journaled in the bearing 8. A head I2 is provided on this end of the screw shaft I I), said head having openings I3 therethrough for the reception of a suitable operating instrument. The head I2 is adapted to abut one end of the bearing 8. A collar I4 is fixed on the smooth end portion II of the screw shaft I0 for abutting engagement with the other end of the bearing 8. It will thus be seen that the screw shaft I0 is secured against longitudinal movement in the bearing 8. The reference numeral I5 designates an oil port in the bearing 8.

It is thought that the manner of usingthe device will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing.

Briefly, the rigid jaws I are engaged with the balls 2 of the rails 3 in the manner shown to advantage in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The screw shaft I0 is then rotated in the desired direction for moving the arms 1 toward or away from each other adjacent one side of the rails 3. Initial movement of. the arms 1 in this manner cooks the rigid jaws I on the balls 2 of the rails for fric tionally gripping said rails. Then, continued rotation of the screw shaft III draws the rails toward each other or pushes said rails apart, according to the direction in which said screw shaft is being turned. The device may then be utilized to secure the rails in adjusted position until the desired work has been completed. Of course, to remove the device it is only necessary to rotate the screw shaft I 0 in a direction to loosen the jaws I on the rail balls 2.

It is believed that the many advantages of a rail adjusting tool constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

A rail adjusting tool comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped, rigid jaws adapted to straddle the balls of a pair of longitudinally aligned rails, the bight portions of said jaws adapted to rest on top of the rail balls with the sides of said jaws engageable with the sides of said rail balls, inturned hooks on one end of the rigid jaws engageable beneath the rail balls, vertically aligned spaced eyes on the other ends of the jaws, vertical pins mounted in said eyes, horizontal arms journaled on said pins between the eyes, a bearing on one end of one of the arms, a threaded sleeve on one end of the other of said arms, said bearing and sleeve being longitudinally aligned and substantially paralleling their respec- 

